A MAN left paralysed by a diving accident has become the victim of a £27,000 car sting.

Thirty-year-old Leon Clegg, who is wheelchair bound, was left without a car after being conned by thieves posing as buyers of his BMW.

After viewing the car, the thieves - a man and a woman - gave him a banker's draft for £27,500 and drove off in the black sapphire BMW, a rare 330i model. But the banker's draft turned out to be a forgery, leaving Mr Clegg shattered and desperate to get back his only means of transport.

He said: "I saved for 10 years to get this car and I'm devastated. I used to be so trusting and give people the benefit of the doubt, but not any more."

Mr Clegg, a tetraplegic, lost all movement in his legs when he broke his neck diving into a swimming pool while on holiday in Benidorm 11 years ago.His car, which was only eight months old, was adapted with push and pull levers instead of pedals for the brake and accelerator. That car was my legs and this has taken away my independence.

"I am still shocked by what has happened. They seemed so legitimate and very convincing. They stayed for a chat and a coffee, even asking how much I would knock off the price for them. I was told I could get £25,000 for it at a BMW garage, but wanted to try and get more for it through a private sale."

Mr Clegg, of Thornham Lane, Summit, wanted a new car that would better accommodate his wheelchair, and advertised the BMW for sale in Auto Trader magazine.

The thieves, who were Asian and said they were from Leicester, were even picked up at Rochdale train station by a friend of Mr Clegg. After taking it for a test drive, the pair said they would buy the BMW and handed over the banker's draft, which appeared to be from the Lloyds TSB Leicester branch. It wasn't until Mr Clegg took the draft to his own bank that he discovered it was a fake.

"My dad does all of my banking and half-an-hour after he paid it into the bank, I had a call to say it was a forgery. I contacted the man on the mobile phone number he gave me, but he hung up laughing. Hopefully that number can be traced."

Because Mr Clegg handed over the keys and documents with the car, he is not covered for the loss with his insurance. He also lost the £500 deposit he had paid on a new car, which he has had to cancel. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that they are investigating the theft of the BMW.

The thieves were both in their 20s and Asian. The man had a shaven head and a slight goatee beard and the woman had long black hair.